News Article

The Sidney Kimmel Foundation for Cancer Research has selected fifteen scientists from across the United States to receive two year grants under the Foundation's on-going Scholar program. A total of 145 talented cancer researchers have been provided with grant money since the Foundation's inception with each receiving a $200,000 award to further a specific cancer research project.

The Kimmel Scholar Awards were created in 1997 to further the careers of gifted, young scientists involved in cancer research. Scientists are selected who show the greatest promise and innovation, but whose careers have not been sufficiently advanced to provide them the critical mass of prior research that typically justifies receiving major awards from the National Cancer Institute and other funding sources.

Sidney Kimmel, the organization's founder and chairman of the board of Jones Apparel Group and president of Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, meets each year with the Foundation's medical advisory board and observes as the esteemed group of leading cancer doctors narrows down the applicants to the top fifteen. This year there were nearly 200 grant applications for review.

Many of the exceptional young scientists who have their careers 'jump started' by the Sidney Kimmel Foundation for Cancer Research go on to receive millions of dollars in funding from the NCI and NIH and make significant contributions to the field of cancer research. Many report that they might never have achieved such success without first receiving the Kimmel grant.

Sridhar Ramaswamy, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital received his award for “Creating bioactive feeders for cancer discovery”.